US President Donald Trump claimed that his country has been subjected to what he described as "commercial and military exploitation" for decades by "friends and foes" alike.
This came in a post on the Truth Social platform on Monday, ahead of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's visit to Washington, D.C.
Trump added that this exploitation, as he put it, "has cost the country trillions of dollars and is no longer sustainable."
He said other countries should say, "Thank you for the free ride for years, but we know now is the time to do what's right for the United States."
Last April, the US president announced sweeping tariffs against most trading partners, before suspending most of them until July 9th following turmoil in stock and bond markets.
Over the past three months, the Trump administration has sought to conclude trade agreements with more than a dozen countries to reduce trade barriers to US exports and avoid imposing additional tariffs.





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Trump: Enemies and allies have been exploiting the United States for decades.